The Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley

About

The Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, registered as “Animal Food Bank Services, Inc.” All donation are tax deductible. We are located in Emmaus, PA. We distribute pet food to those experiencing economic distress. Distributions are held two to three times a month. Please check our Welcome page for posted dates. We also encourage responsible pet ownership by requiring spay/neuter, vaccines, and licenses for the pets we assist. Do you need assistance with pet food? Please check our "Need Food?" page for requirements and additional instructions.

Mission

Our mission is to keep companion animals in loving homes and prevent their surrender to the shelter system by supplying families with pet food in times of economic distress.

History

The Animal Food Bank is one of the longest operating “stand-alone” food banks for companion animals in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the only pet food bank in the Lehigh Valley. The Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley was founded 2005 as an outreach of Trinity Episcopal Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. At that time, Soup Kitchen volunteers noticed that some guests were not finishing lunch. When asked why, they said they were taking food home so that they could feed their pets. Inspired by this need, a fourteen year old Girl Scout and parishioner, Vanessa (Segaline) Miller, then began a system of monthly pet food distribution to guests of the Soup Kitchen.

The volunteers distributing the food recognized a growing need for services in the greater Lehigh Valley beyond those clients assisted by the church. The Animal Food Bank obtained status as a Section 501(c)(3) organization in December 2009, moved from the church premises, and began distribution to the wider Lehigh Valley.